Improvement in hand-tools for channeling soles



2 Sheets--.SheetI.

L. GODDU. Hand-Tool for Channeling Soles. No.l68,478.

Patented Oct. 5, i875,

7/71 mus-0.9.-

' 2 sheets Sh eet 2. L. GUDDU.

Hand-Tool for Channeling Soles. N0 168,478, Patented Oct 5,187'5.

TENT QFFICIEE.

LOUIS GODDU, OFBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSICrNOR TO AMERICAN CABLE SCREWWIRE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN HAND-TOOLS FOR CHANNELING SOLE S.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 168.478, dated October5, 1875; application filed September 21, 1875.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LoUIsGODDU, of Boston, inthe county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Hand-Tool for Channeling the Soles ofBoots and Shoes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilledin the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon,

which form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1represents a hand channeling-tool used in connection with my rotatablesoleclamp; Fig. 2, an end view, showing the adjustable edge-guide; Fig.3, a view of the hollow side of the tool; Fig. 4, a rtrosssection on theline 00 w of Fig. 8; Fig. 5, a horizontal section of the tool, showingthe adjustable edge-guide and its operating pivoted toothed lever, theoutward-pressing spring, and the adjustable stops attached to the shankof the adjustable edgeguide; and Fig. 6, a view of my rotatablesole-clamp for channeling.

In connection with the employment of my rotative holder, for turning,clamping, and supporting the sole of boots and shoes while beingchanneled, as described and shown in a separate patent granted to me, Iuse a palmhandled cutter of peculiar construction, and which is thesubject of this patent.

This tool consists of a curved holder, A, hollow and open on its innersurface, and made to be grasped by and fit to the palm of the hand. Thehead B of this tool is solid and of sufficient size to receive thecutter C, and a clamping-plate, D, therefor, and from this head B a topsurface-gage, E, projects, to form a bearing and surface guide for thetool upon the upper surface of the sole, and a thumbrest. At the base ofthe surface-bearing guide, and at right angles to it, is a controllableedgeguide, which serves as a bearing,F, and guide for the edge of thesole, to determine the distance of the channel from its edge at theshank, and controlled, for this purpose, by moving it during theoperation of cutting the channel. This edge-guide moves in a slot cutinto the tool-head, and is operated by the following device,irrespective of the position of the cutter. The edge-guide is made of athickness equal to the thinnest leather to be channeled. On the outeredge of this guide is a series of cogs, a, into which match counterpartcogs b on the end of a finger-lever, (-ar, pivoted to an extension ofthe head of the cutter. On the shank K of this controllable edgeguide,and beyond its support, is a spiral spring, H, one end of which restsagainst the bearing 0, through which the shank moves, and the other endof the spring is confined by an adjustable collar, d, and set-screw, bywhich means any degree of pressure can be put upon the spring. Betweenthe bearing for the spiral spring and along the groove through which theshank moves a recess, f, is made, into hich two collars or stops, g g,with set-screws, are fixed upon the shank K of the edge-guide, in orderto determine the maximum and minimum movement of the guide, while thespiral spring always brings the edge-guide to its normal position themoment the pressure is released from the pivoted lever.

The adjustable stop or collar striking against the shoulderin theholder, makes a solid bearing, and prevents the farther receding of theedge-guide, so that while the edgeguide is adjustable it is actually atits minimum extension as solid as if it were part of the head itself,and at it; maximum extension it is equally as firm, and is maintained inits position so as to resist the pressure against the edge of the soleby the pivot-ed lever G, which is so placed as to come naturally underthe action of the forefinger, and when grasped and brought down itoperates to throw the edge-guide forward by the cogs of the pivotedlever acting on the cogs in the shank of the edge-guide.

When the pivoted lever is brought down it requires no additional outlayof strength to hold it in its position, for the force applied to keep itdown operates in the same direction as the force required to draw thetool around the edge of the sole and make the channel.

That portion of the edge-guide which rests against the sole is madeconvex, so as to lessen the friction caused by its being drawn againstthe edge of the sole, and also to fit more closely into the sharp curvein the shank of the sole, as seen in Fig. 5.

A controllable edge-guide is desirable from thicknesses.

the fact that an extension-edged sole isgreatly ator, without stoppingto alter the position of his knife, to commence at one shank, cutting achannel near the edge until the ball is reached, and then releasing thepressure upon the pivoted lever, when the spiral spring, together withthe pressure against the guide,

W moves it back, and the, sole edge following close against it,consequently cutting a channel farther from the edge of the sole untilthe opposite shank is reached, when pressure is again applied to thepivoted lever, which moves the ed ge-guide forward, and at the same timemoving the edge of the sole nearer the knife, and, of course, cutting achannel the same distance from the edge as on the-0pposite shank andpoint of starting. The movable edge-guide moves between the upper fixedresting-surface of the head and the selfadjusting bearing-spring whichkeeps the sole firmly against the upper bearing-surface E, therebyalways insuring a uniform depth of channel, whatever the thickness ofthe leather. For the purpose of keeping the sole firmly against theupper-surface guide E in cutting the channel I combine with such upperbearing-surface a self-adjusting lower presser, I, between which and theupper-surface guide E the sole passes in moving the tool around itsouter edge, so that soles of different thick- 1 nesses can be'easilyinserted, while theyielding presser I will adjust itself to such varyingThe position of the cutter G with respect to the upper bearing-surface Eis such that the depth of the incision made by the cutter in the surfaceof the sole will not 'be affected in any way by the thickness of thesole being channeled. The self-adjusting presser I is secured to thelower inner side of the open curved handle, and consists of a steelplate, I, having a suitable bearing-surface immediately below the uppersurfacebearing. The head of the handle is recessed at J, Fig. 1, toreceive the cutter O, which consists of a knife of any desiredcutting-surface, and is secured to the head by a face-plate, D, andclamp-screw c. This knife can be clamped so as to cut any desired.depthof channel, and can be set as near the edge-guide as may bedesired. When it is desired to cut a channel of uniform distance fromthe edge of the shoe all round, the movable edge-guide can be dispensedwith, and an 'edgeguide formed by a part of the head itself. Anessential feature of this knife-holder lies in its hollow shell, formedwith a curved back, m, so as to follow the short curves in the shank ofthe sole by having the knife and its handle, at its curved back m,nearly coinciding with the arc of a circle. In drawing the knife roundthe edge of the sole as soon as it comes near the shank the sole entersthe hollow of the palm-handle, which allows the knife to keep the samedistance from the edge of the sole. Were it not for this construction ofthe handle the knife would be thrown out from the edge in channeling theshank and thus prevent the channel being cut all the way round the edgeof the sole. To have as little friction as possible in drawing the toolaround the edge of the sole I propose to fit a loose roll at the end ofthe movable edge-guide F, in any convenient manner that will best answerthe purpose, and also one at the end of the adjustable presser. Thepeculiar back curve of the handle allows it to be grasped and held withgreat ease, the thumb resting upon the head-surface and the forefingerresting on the pivoted lever.

I claim- 1. The combination, ina hand-tool for channeling the soles ofboots and-shoes, of an upper bearing-surface guide, E, a self-adjustingpresser-plate, I, an edge-bearing for the sole, and a channel-cutter, O,substantially as herein set forth. 7

2. In a hand-tool for channeling the soles of boots and shoes, by meansof a cutter carried thereby, a controllable edge-guide, F, substantiallyas herein set forth, whereby the distance of the channel from the edgeof the sole at the shank is determined.

3. The combination, in a hand-tool for channeling the soles of boots andshoes, of an adjustable toothed edge'guide, F, with a toothed lever, G,and a spring H, substantially as herein set forth, whereby to determinethe maximum and minimum movement of "the edge-guide, as described.

4. The combination, with the controllable edge-guide F and its operatingtoothed fingerlever G, and the spring, of means for adjusting andregulating the movement of said edgeguide with respect to thechanneling-tool, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

5. A hand channeling-tool, provided with a palm-handle having a curvedrecess or hollow, m, on its inner surface to receive the edge of thesole as the knife is manipulated along the short curves in the channeling operation, substantially as set forth.

6. A hand-tool for channeling the soles of boots and shoes, consistingof a hollow curved palm-handled channeling-knife holder, A, an upperbearing-surface guide, E, a self-adjustinglower pressure-plate, I, achannel-cutter, O, and a controllable edge-guide, F, substantially asherein set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have affixed my signature inthe presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS GODDU.

Witnesses:

F. 0. TOBEY, J. W. NUTTER.

